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Grew up with his sons, damn. I had a feeling he was having some health issues.

He sounded like a really decent person. Obviously people will associate him as being an evil conservative... but he was a rarity in that party. Politics have become so dirty but he remained fiscally conserative, straight shooter, and honest as hell. Seemed like he was a very honorable person.

He sounded like a really decent person. Obviously people will associate him as being an evil conservative... but he was a rarity in that party. Politics have become so dirty but he remained fiscally conserative, straight shooter, and honest as hell. Seemed like he was a very honorable person.

That's a big loss for our country.

Agreed. He had one of the hardest jobs in politics, but for the most part was very well respected. He and his wife are well respected in Whitby.

It's a good take on things, Fatcow. A lot of people have the inability to question things our government tells them.

Officially, Canada and the US claim that the poll that was taken regarding joining Russia was flawed - that there were various irregularities and threats. That might shift the vote a little, but the Crimeans aren't going to be so easily swayed in such numbers. I would say at a minimum 90% would rather be part of Russia. Some because they are Russian and feel persecution, but many simply because the Ukraine is a mess.

Usually, a country separates first and the international community supports it. It's unusual for a people to want to transfer nations, so there isn't as much of a precedent. Russia didn't handle things well, by taking the poll as an invitation to seize Crimea by force. If the voters of Crimea are genuine about joining Russia, there are plenty of ways to validate that, and form an agreement as to what gets transferred etc in a fair, equitable way if all parties negotiate in good faith.

It's a good take on things, Fatcow. A lot of people have the inability to question things our government tells them.

Officially, Canada and the US claim that the poll that was taken regarding joining Russia was flawed - that there were various irregularities and threats. That might shift the vote a little, but the Crimeans aren't going to be so easily swayed in such numbers. I would say at a minimum 90% would rather be part of Russia. Some because they are Russian and feel persecution, but many simply because the Ukraine is a mess.

Usually, a country separates first and the international community supports it. It's unusual for a people to want to transfer nations, so there isn't as much of a precedent. Russia didn't handle things well, by taking the poll as an invitation to seize Crimea by force. If the voters of Crimea are genuine about joining Russia, there are plenty of ways to validate that, and form an agreement as to what gets transferred etc in a fair, equitable way if all parties negotiate in good faith.

Yup, I agree with you. Russia made something that could have done through an official process (and a slower process) that would have eliminated the shadiness, but they sent unmarked soldiers into Crimea, held a vote and within a week annexed Crimea. It's something truly odd. They should have done it done it in a much better way and a more inclusive way, especially since they knew they would have the big majority vote in this.

On another note an odd thing happened in the news, something that I am sensing as the beginning of the propaganda attack against Russia in this conflict over Ukraine... USA Today released a story on how the pro-Russian controlled Donetsk started sending out letters to force Jewish people in that area to "register" or "will be forced outside the country with a confiscation of property." and for a while (especially on Reddit) it started people to draw comparisons between Putin and Hitler as well as Russia to Nazi Germany. A few hours later, this was "debunked" per-say when the Daily Dot reported that the flyer was “fake” according to Lesley Weiss, the deputy director of the National Conference Supporting Jews (NCSJ) as it's being sent by an unknown source in the area to cause distress and basically a shitstorm in the area. It's really weird stuff.